This inventon relates to fluid vortex generation and, more particularly, to an improved vortex generating device useful as an atomizer and/or a sonic energy or flow transducer.
In one class of sonic energy transducer, sonic waves are generated by accelerating a gas to supersonic velocity in a nozzle. To achieve supersonic flow it has been necessary in the past to establish a large pressure drop from the inlet to the outlet of the nozzle. In order to produce sufficiently high energy levels for effective atomization and other purposes, prior art sonic energy transducers have used various measures such as a resonator beyond the outlet of the supersonic nozzle, as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,924, which issued Jan. 25, 1966, or a sphere in the diverging section of the supersonic nozzle, as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,029, which issued Apr. 23, 1974.
By means of stable, efficient vortex generation, the inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,862 and application Ser. No. 886,289 produce supersonic flow and higher energy levels with a lower pressure drop than prior art devices employing supersonic nozzles. Resonators or spheres are not required to produce high energy levels, although they may be advantageously employed to increase the level of energization under some circumstances.